EPI Board of Directors

With a professional background as a strategist and facilitator of strategic renewal projects across the private, public and social sectors, Nicole-Anne is well placed to bring her expertise in futures thinking and scenario planning to the EPI Board.

Charles is a cultural anthropologist, educator, and facilitator. Charles works primarily with Executive Teams and Boards of Directors on projects requiring input from multiple stakeholders. Charles’ greatest passion is bringing together groups with diverse opinions to engage in building desired futures.

David brings professional expertise in marketing, brand building and strategic planning to his role on the EPI Board as well as experience in fundraising and non-profit leadership on both Boards and Foundations. He has a strong belief in the work EPI is doing and is committed to helping the organization achieve its goals.

Julie Osborn is the co-founder of EPI. She continues to be motivated by the transformation she witnesses in EPI’s students, and the ways in which EPI offers otherwise unattainable opportunities to youth as well as the urgent need to address ecological damage to our planet.

In addition to her expertise in marketing and international and Mexican law, Laura also brings her perspective as a Latinx former local participant to the EPI Board. She chose to study law as a direct result of her exposure to EPI and the realization that she could create change using her own talents and skills.

Steve appreciates how his volunteer work with EPI keeps him connected to ecology and environmental education, and sees the powerful way it introduces students to fieldwork and scientific inquiry.

As an EPI Board member, Maureen connects her marine biology past with conservation issues, while contributing to a valuable cause. Having worked to protect reef fish and encountering resistance from local fishermen, she experienced first-hand that nothing can be accomplished on the ground if the people most impacted by the efforts are not engaged and on board.

T'Noya is passionate about community engagement, inquiry-based learning, and immersive experiences– making EPI's mission resonate with her deeply. T'Noya appreciates the opportunity to improve systems and sees the significance of deliberating methods to achieve more authentic and sustainable results alongside others.

As a passionate conservation and river advocate, Trent is especially motivated by EPI’s mission of connecting youth to nature, science and each other, which he sees as essential to our future.

Once an EPI Costa Rica instructor, Clara brings a decade of experience working across resource management, youth development, sustainable agriculture, and restoration to EPI’s Board of Director team to continue linking people to places.

A planner and fundraiser, Mike den Haan has been managing nonprofits in the health and education sectors for more than 25 years. When friend and fellow Board member, Charles Holmes, mentioned that EPI’s board was seeking members with his unique skills in Integrated Communications and Capacity Building, Mike saw an opportunity to align his values with an organization on a broader scale.

Becca's interest in EPI began with a trip to Pacuare Reserve in Costa Rica in 2010 - part of a larger course on sea turtle biology through Coastal Carolina University. There, they completed the data collection and research presentation aspects of the course and utilized the expertise and leadership of the EPI instructors.

Paul believes that a key factor to strengthening conservation is to have youth learn about eachother's land, ecology, and cultures, and to grow up sharing best practices around the globe as they emerge as leaders of the future.

Nature, science, and sustainability are at the core of Nicole Demeisi’s work at Bayer, and these values are what drew her to join EPI’s Board of Directors. She believes that by providing amazing learning opportunities EPI will empower individuals to lead their own sustainability efforts in new, unique ways.

Board Chair Aaron Hirsh is a writer and biologist with strong interests in education, evolution, and the environment. He is a research affiliate at UC Boulder's department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology as well as a Board member of the Vermilion Sea Institute.

For Steve, it is important to work with young people so they understand the value of taking care of our planet and its flora and fauna, and using its resources carefully with a recognition that they are limited. EPI combines academic learning and practical activities to allow students to experience these issues for themselves.